Narrow and pothole-ridden roads, traffic jams and tiring journeys in the oppressive heat reflect the plight of commuters in several areas of the densely populated north Chennai, which lack adequate public transport and proper traffic management. Commuting remains a challenge for residents since many of the narrow roads serve as arterial stretches and traffic is heavy. At localities, including Madhavaram, Moolakadai, Vysarapadi and Pulianthope, commuters grapple with a host of issues every day.
Fewer bus services
S. Pushpa, a resident of Pulianthope for nearly 26 years and who takes a bus to Egmore for work, says she waits for a bus for nearly half-an-hour every day. “Quite a few roads, especially Gandhi Nagar and Pulianthope High Road, are in poor shape. To make matters worse, the buses are late and the bad roads only slow down the journey further. The authorities recently completed the storm water drain project. Unfortunately, the project has resulted in the road height increasing. The road space has shrunk in a part of Pulianthope High Road,” she points out.
In areas like Perambur, Doveton and Pattalam, traffic congestion has only exacerbated in recent times by the start of Chennai Metro Rail construction. S. Manjula, a resident of Pattalam, says any commuter will dread driving through Pattalam at evening hours owing to the congestion at the junction. “The traffic is increasing every day, but the roads here remain narrow. Should not they plan for the future and take up road widening at least now,” she asks.
Poor connectivity
In their long list of woes is poor connectivity and fewer bus services. B. Balaji, a resident of Mathur MMDA and social activist, says the number of services of 29D (MMDA to Vivekanandar Illam) has been reduced. “The area has nearly 20,000 families, but a number of bus services have been reduced or suspended. The 29CX service from MMDA to Tiruvanmiyur was stopped, while the frequency of 64C, from Manali to Broadway, has been extended from 10 minutes to half-an-hour or one hour, resulting in heavy rush,” he says. As a result, the dependence on share autos to reach Moolakadai has increased. “Owing to the increase in demand, share auto fare has also gone up from ₹10 to ₹20,” he says.
No proper schedule
R. Rajamanickam, a resident of Ennore, says 13 buses ply from the Ennore terminus, but without a proper schedule. “Many of these services ply continuously at shorter intervals, leaving commuters without any bus for the next one hour. This is the scenario at morning and evening hours. The service 121 C that goes up to CMBT is operated every one hour or one-and-a-half hours. The service 4 that plies from Ennore to the High Court is crowded, especially at school hours, owing to fewer trips,” he says. Buses should be operated at an interval of 20 minutes. “We need more connectivity to Red Hills as the existing services have dwindled,” he adds.
R. Loganathan, a resident of R.K. Nagar and CPI(M) district executive committee member, north Chennai, says that while Tiruvottiyur High Road has a good number of bus services that provide the much-needed connectivity to the rest of the city, areas at the other end of R.K. Nagar, like Korukkupet, suffer from inadequate services. “Because of the ongoing construction of the rail overbridge at Korukkupet, commuting even on two-wheelers has become difficult,” he says.
He adds that train services should also improve. “Several daily wage labourers travel to Minjur, Ponneri and Gummidipoondi. The number of trains should be increased. Chennai Metro Rail has definitely improved transport in this part of the city. Still, connectivity should be established from the Wimco Nagar Metro station to Madhavaram, through Ennore, Manali and Mathur,” he feels.
There are certain transport issues peculiar to this part of the city. Take the Mullai Nagar bus terminus, for instance. It has one service, 46G, that plies to CMBT. For several years, residents have been demanding more services from the terminus. “We have to rely on buses plying from K.K.D. Nagar towards Parrys and other areas. By the time the bus service, 116, reaches our stoppages at Vyasarpadi at rush hours, it is packed. The other buses that ply through Mullai Nagar and Sathyamurthy Nagar include 2A and 33. Improving the bus services will help in increasing access, thereby improving our livelihood,” a resident of Vyasarpadi says.
K. Bharathi, president of South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association, points out that there are 20-25 fishing villages at Ennore and wants more bus services from Ennore to Kattupalli and Pazhaverkadu.
RTI activist M. Thuyamurthy says that since the road width is limited at several localities, it is important to operate mini-buses with more stops and good frequency so that roads are not clogged and commuters can reach their destinations on time.
With the lack of adequate buses, share autos have turned into the lifeline for several areas of north Chennai. But they are a double-edged sword since they add substantially to the traffic congestion, residents say.
Impromptu stops
J. Joshua, who has been living at Moolakadai for seven years now, says the pitiable condition of the roads in many areas slows down the traffic and share autos make it even more difficult for commuters with their impromptu stops. “Since the bus services are insufficient, these share autos are extremely important for commuters. It is high time that the authorities developed better transport planning methods, increased bus services and regulated the share autos by assigning them stops,” he says. While the other areas of the city are growing faster, north Chennai is not getting enough attention, Mr. Thuyamurthy rues.
“A collective development itself is needed for these areas. Roads need to be widened and the traffic police and the Transport Department should come together for creating better infrastructure and improving mobility for commuters,” he says.
